Hello All!! On Wednesday my group left Harrisonburg, VA and arrived safely in Tuscon, AZ. It has already been such a great experience! Yesterday we kicked off the semester by traveling to Florence, AZ to take a tour of the Florence Detention Center that holds illegal immigrants after they are caught. Although there is more to it than that, it was such an eye-opening experience. When we got there, we were greeted by many guards and regulations on what we were allowed to bring in and what we were not allowed to bring in. We were all escorted into a conference room and the director began a powerpoint on the history and logistics of the center. They currently hold around 320 men, but held about 40,000 men in the past year. After the introduction, we actually got a tour of the base itself. It was hard to keep myself mindful of what these men had gone through. As we walked through the barbed wire with ease, I couldn't help but think what these men had to do everyday, that is live within barbed wire cages. On the bright side, these men were treated quite nicely with three hot meals, 4 hours of outside recreation a day, living spaces with flat screen TVs, their own locker, the ability to receive mail, and a bed to sleep in. To be a tad blunt, but I couldn't help but think that most men would rather be here in this detention center than in their home of fear or poverty. After we left the detention center, we met with an EMU alum and talked about her battle to fight the detention center with the way they ran the center. Yes, they did provide for their detainees, but they really only showed us the "positive" aspects of the center itself. She went on to describe how this governmental organization twist many rules and take away most of these mens rights as human beings.
As I left with these questions, I kept wondering what was fair and what was just. Are these things the same? Are they different? So many arguments on immigration are focused on what is right and what is wrong. But I do not think there is a straight answer for either "side". I do not believe that men, women, or children should be poorly treated although not legally in this country, but I do believe that the reason that they are fleeing their own countries is a tragedy. Yes, some come simply to make money, but some literally come here in hopes of survival, not only for them, but for their families and the ones they love. Most live in fear of being killed upon return and the harm that will be inflicted on their loved ones.
For me, this is a devastating human rights issue that will continue to be twisted and complicated no matter what legislation comes about. It is a struggle to keep an open-mind when all these lies fill the media and tabloids. Either way, good or bad, right or wrong, black or white, I stand for justice. Justice in the sense that every human being, whether American or not deserve to live on a land that they love. That if my family and loved ones were in danger, I sure as hell would do all I could to protect them and keep them safe. Justice that keeps this race together, unseparated in the eyes of humanity. I am aware that this is a dream that will be hard to obtain, but it takes a start to create an end, and I have to start somewhere.
To direct my conversation elsewhere, my group is doing really well! We are really learning a lot and will continue to be traveling in the next couple weeks. It has been a bit odd that we are still in transition between our home and Guatemala as we find ourselves still in the US. Therefore, as we travel to the border tomorrow (Nogales, Douglas, AZ and Agua Prieta, Mexico) may we keep learning and having God open our hearts to the struggles of our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Take Care and God Bless,
Kiersten
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